Casino City's Friday Five: Louisiana sports betting launch edition

Today, at 8 a.m. local time, Louisiana welcomed the launch of online and mobile sports betting. Several operators are already live with more to join in the near future. In addition, we also have New Jersey welcoming betting on competitive video games, a major jackpot win from Atlantic City, a new property coming from Wynn Resorts and the rebranding of a Las Vegas Strip casino.

Let’s begin with a massive payday:

5. $2.8 million progressive jackpot at Golden Nugget in Atlantic City
A lucky winner from New Jersey won a $2,839,342 progressive jackpot at Golden Nugget – Atlantic City on Wednesday, 19 January.

Dave J. from New Jersey secured his winnings by placing a $6 wager on a Penny Monopoly Money Grab Machine and ultimately winning a progressive jackpot that had built its way to over a $2.8 million payout.

?? JACKPOT ALERT ??

Congratulations to our Golden Guest from NJ for hitting a 2.8 million dollar progressive jackpot at Golden Nugget! What a way to start the year! How would you spend 2.8 million? ???? #GoldenNuggetAC #WinningTheMarinaWay pic.twitter.com/Uckh1wCH71
— Golden Nugget AC (@goldennuggetac) January 22, 2022

4. New Jersey to welcome betting on competitive video games
Esports Entertainment Group announced earlier this week that it has received an order approving a Transactional Waiver from the Director of the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement which permits the company to begin accepting bets in the state.

The company becomes the first esports betting operator to receive a Transactional Waiver in New Jersey and plans to launch their VIE.gg betting platform following a five-day “soft play” period, which will began Monday afternoon.

The VIE.gg platform allows bettors across New Jersey to wager on their favorite esports teams in real-time across games such as Call of Duty, CS:GO, League of Legends and DOTA 2.

3. Marjan to develop a resort in Ras Al Khaimah with Wynn Resorts
Marjan, RAK Hospitality Holding and Wynn Resorts, Limited announced a multibillion-dollar integrated resort development on the man-made Al Marjan Island in Ras Al Khaimah, United Arab Emirates.

The current scope for the new property includes a 1,000+ room hotel, high-end shopping mall, a state-of-the-art meeting and convention facility, an exclusive spa, more than 10 restaurants and lounges, a wide array of entertainment choices, a gaming area, and other amenities.

The new resort is in the initial stages of design and development and will be applying for an integrated resort license from Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority and is set to be completed in 2026.

2. Caesars to rename Bally’s Las Vegas with Horseshoe brand
Iconic casino brand Horseshoe is returning to Las Vegas as Bally's - Las Vegas begins a transformation.

The transformation will begin in the spring of 2022 and will include a renovated exterior, new entertainment and food and beverage options, and a reimagined casino floor and public areas.

The multi-million dollar investment is the latest in a series of reimagining for Caesars Entertainment's storied Las Vegas resorts, including a new entrance to Caesars Palace.

The 53rd annual World Series of Poker comes to the Strip from 31 May to 19 July, just as the property begins construction. The transformation to Horseshoe Las Vegas should be complete by the end of 2022.

Follow along at @HorseshoeVegas as we drop #HintsOfHorseshoe w/ upcoming announcements on renovations, new food and beverage offerings & more.

All the details here https://t.co/PVTB0JRDzY pic.twitter.com/8TQBV8lRVo
— Bally's Las Vegas (@Ballysvegas) January 26, 2022

1. Online and mobile sports betting launches in Louisiana
Caesars Entertainment was one of seven sportsbooks to go live this morning in the Pelican State. Other sportsbooks in Louisiana include DraftKings, FanDuel, Barstool Sportsbook and BetMGM, BetRivers and WynnBet.

The first mobile wager taken by Caesars Sportsbook in the state was on the Cincinnati Bengals, whose march to the AFC Championship Game in Kansas City has been led by former LSU stars Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase. The wager was $80 on the Bengals moneyline at +285 for a potential win of $228.

Louisiana became the 17th state to offer DraftKings’ online sportsbook.

Louisiana, we have arrived!

Download the app now: https://t.co/gDu35Znsqm #LetsGeauxDraftKings pic.twitter.com/rgIWcRcKEE
— DraftKings Sportsbook (@DKSportsbook) January 28, 2022

“Louisiana marks the twelfth state where we operate the Barstool Sportsbook mobile app, and as in the other states, I’m confident that customers will enjoy engaging with Dave Portnoy, Dan ‘Big Cat’ Katz and other Barstool fan favorites, and we’re offering a number of promotional wagers on the app to help celebrate the launch,” said Jay Snowden, President and CEO of Penn National.

FanDuel Sportsbook is bringing its sports betting experience to the passionate sports fans of Louisiana, who will now be able to place wagers in 55 parishes across the state on professional and college football, basketball, baseball, hockey, golf, MMA, boxing, soccer, and tennis with a variety of betting and payment options available.

"We're thrilled that the BetMGM Sportsbook is one of the first mobile sports betting apps to launch in Louisiana, just in time for this weekend's NFL playoffs," said BetMGM CEO Adam Greenblatt. "We know that many Louisianians visit our retail sportsbooks in Mississippi, and we're pleased to provide another betting option that rewards customers with one¬-of-a-kind experiences not available on any other platform."